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Welcome to the Tanka Tuesday Poetry Recap featuring the work of poets from around the globe. If you would like to participate in this challenge, you can learn the rules on the menu item called Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Guidelines.

What a wild week to celebrate our 100th Poetry challenge! My blog is finally back to normal. Many thanks to the universe for stepping in to restore calm. Thanks to you all for patience. 😀

Did I miss your poem? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add your link. Some of the comments didn’t come through. I did get a few emails so that was great. Thank you.

What did you think of the free choice of words? Some poets told me they liked the structure of me selecting two words each week. Others relished the freedom of choice.

Would you like to make the first poetry challenge of each month a FREE CHOICE of words challenge where you choose the words for your Haiku, Senryu, Haibun, Tanka or Cinquain? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. The last thing I want is for this challenge to become stale.

PLEASE NOTE: Don’t forget to count your syllables. Use this site: howmanysyllables.com. Click on the workshop tab. Then, copy and paste your poem into the box, and click “count syllables” at the bottom.

For some, this challenge is a way to learn more about writing in English, even though it’s the American version. English is a second language to many of our participants.

I also understand that accent and inflection play a key roll in the way you say certain words and this will change the syllable count. Here is my compromise: Please try to get as close to the syllable count as possible when writing these syllabic forms of poetry.

This challenge is not for free-verse poetry. ❤

Each week, I like to highlight a poet who I call the Poet of the Week, who has shared an exceptional message, or shown an impassioned creativity through words or form. Poetry is all about perception, so don’t be shocked if you don’t feel the same way about a poem that I do. ❤

This week, I’ve chosen Aweni, and her three-layered Haibun poem called “Fear,” to be the Poet of the Week. The use of the triple Haibun, tells a story, punctuated by her poetry. I love the rhythm and flow of her words.

Fear came calling today.
Even though he had been many times before, I underestimated his strength still.
With a vice-like grip, he held me down against my will.
My heart, my eyes, my being screamed to be freed, but Fear did not heed my cries as he stripped me bare. Just like he did many times before, he proceeded to violate me, again and again. And just like before, I quietened and waited for him to finish and begone…..knowing it could take weeks, months, years, eons or my life’s breath.

Soft screams in the darkHer, Fear’s named partner in crimeWho hated herself

Something was not as before this time. Smaerd was present. Only I aware of him.
As always, he did not intervene. He never does.
Instead, he asked, “do you seek to make him yours or would you continue as you both are?”
With the little strength left in me, I begged of Smaerd to enlighten me.

Smaerd said “the bones, flesh, and skin on his feet on which he stands strong are made of ‘I can’ts. You see his muscular upper limbs, they are made of ‘You can’ts’. But his heart, child, only if you knew of his heart. His heart is that of a child, needing discipline and easily won. When you believe you can, his heart heeds yours and his feet turns to jelly. He will fall on his knees and his hands must concede to a won heart. Fear left today. My chastity preserved. He says he will visit again…. only when I need him….. to encourage and never to violate….. I say we are buddies now. Smaerd begs to differ.

Hi Colleen, what an enthusiastic entry to celebrate your 100th challenge. I think mine is missing from the recap but no worry, I know you got it and tweet it. That’s good! I look forward to your new challenge tomorrow. ❤ ❤

Hi Colleen! Great choice for Poet of the Week! Aweni came up with an amazing triple haibun. I enjoy the structure of working with your prompt words but I think a ‘Free Choice’ once a month isn’t a bad idea. Congrats again on your 100th poetry challenge! ❤ xx

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